"British Dragoons" Topic

The Virginia War Museum warmuseum.org has a section on the Revolutionary War. In it it has a guideon from the British 21st Light Dragoons which they claim was captured when the regiment served in America during the war. I cannot find any other source indicating that other than 16th and 17th Light Dragoons the British had any other regular cavalry regts in America during the war. The Queens Royal Lancers Association website link lists that the Regt was raised in responce to the Revolutionary War but served in Yorkshire on anti smuggling duties and was not transfered to America. It was disbanded with the end of the war.

So is the museum right and I have another choice for painting a British Cavalry regt to help put down the rebelion in Virginia, or should I tell the museum I have an original Betsy Ross Flag for sale for a bargin price if they want it?

Rich

or should I tell the museum I have an original Betsy Ross Flag for sale for a bargain price if they want it?

Yes, I think you should!

Sell them nylon Betsy Ross flags. They last longer in the weather.

It is a pity that they have this as their very first display in the muesum, as the rest of the museum is pretty good and avoids the howler I have seen in several US museums of labeling exhibits as being from the British Royal Army :-)

Rich

The museum is obviously wrong and you should apply for the curator's position immediately.

Unless it's a pay cut, of course.

Unfortunatly I would invalidate my visa if I quit the day job and therefore would not be able to remain in country to take up the curator's position.

Rich

The museum has a lot of the CMH's collection. It may simply be mislabeled from that.

A year or so ago I was at Mt. Vernon and they had gold "22" regimental button on display stated it was from GW's F&I uniform. I contact the museum to point out their error and they acknowledged it saying that was how it was labeled when they inherited the collection from his family. I wonder if they ever corrected it?

I sent the museum and email. Let's see what they say.

What did the flag look like?

Some time before the AWI forum was introduced, I put up a thread about buttons of the 2nd Dragoons (aka the Royal Scots Greys) being found in North America. Via a very devious (and deviant) route, I learned that the cadre of the 21st was created from the officers and NCOs of the 16LD after their return from America.

I suppose there is a remote possibility that, given their role on the east coast of England, it might have been taken by John Paul Jones, or another privateer raider, but then I would imagine they'd have been crowing about it for some time afterwards.

Ironically, the Royal Lancers Museum claims to have a 16th LD jacket from the AWI (which also clearly isn't).

Maybe they got confused with the modern regiment, the amalgamated 17th/21st lancers…

This from the curator regarding the standard:

Yes, our museum is fortunate to have a standard which is attributed to the 21st Dragoons. While it is on display in our Revolutionary War section, at no time do we claim that the 21st served in America during the conflict. Our purpose in displaying it is merely to give our visitors a flavor of what a standard from that time period would have looked like.

As I'm sure you know, with France's support of the American colonists in 1778, England was concerned of the threat of a French invasion. As a result, the 21st and other cavalry regiments were raised to patrol/protect the coastlines. The 21st in fact was posted to Whitby & patrolled the Yorkshire coast. With the end of the war and peace with France, the cavalry units were no longer required and the 21st was disbanded.

That is strange as that is not how I read it. Next time I visit I will re-read the display again.

Rich